


A Little Tenderness

by Norcyla



Category: The Wayhaven Chronicles (Interactive Fiction)
Genre: Eventual Smut, F/M, Fluff and Humor, the detective is a goof
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-08-07
Updated: 2019-09-10
Packaged: 2020-08-11 00:22:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,214
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20144449
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Norcyla/pseuds/Norcyla
Summary: Detective Chloe Cornell is head-over-heels infatuated with the charming and funny Felix Hauville, but apprehensive about the next step in their relationship.





	1. Date Night

**Author's Note:**

> The Wayhaven Chronicles belongs to the lovely Mishka Jenkins. This is a work of mere shameless fangirling.
> 
> Constructive criticism very welcome! I am a fanfic amateur.

It had been a hell of a couple of weeks for Chloe Cornell. Even after wrapping up the whole Carnival situation, chaos seemed to be the new normal for her in Wayhaven. Between the mundane world of small-time policing and being stalked by various unsavory supernaturals or Trappers, her work-life balance was at an all-time low. Which, she had to admit, was why she was so thankful for special moments like these; time alone with the man who made her feel...cherished. Happy.

Hokey piano music and stuttering images from a German silent-era vampire movie flashed on her television screen. Felix embraced her tenderly as she snuggled up even closer to him on the loveseat. Half-empty alcopops and a bowl of caramel popcorn lay forgotten on the coffee-table as she sighed in contentment. Ah, another perfect date night. How many had they had together? Four? Five 'official' ones, at least? It was kind of hard to keep track seeing that Felix was more than eager to turn any given patrol or mission into a romantic evening together.

"Look at this guy", Felix chuckled into her temple, pointing to the bald, snaggletoothed figure on the screen. "Walking around in broad daylight carrying a. Damn. Coffin. Not suspicious at all!"

Chloe giggled into the crook of his neck. "I guess Count Orlok figures if he just plays it cool, no one will be the wiser. 'Just taking my coffin for a walk - nothing to see here! Just a man and his coffin!'"

She felt his chest shake with amusement as they laughed together. "That's why I love watching these old movies", Chloe admitted, "There's never any end to the comedy gold."

  
"Hey, Cookie," he said, nudging her. "Remember when you asked the rest of the team if _we_ slept in coffins?"

  
_Cookie_. Felix first started calling that (because she was 'sweet' and 'looked good enough to eat') when they first started dating. Basically poking fun at her mild-but-totally-reasonable apprehension about Unit Bravo's liquid diet and her 'tempting' freak blood. She used to feel a sort of fond annoyance when he called her that, but now the endearment never ceased to bring a goofy smile to her face.

She tilted her head to gaze up at him. His amber eyes caught hers, their expression warm and playful.

"Well, can you really blame me for not knowing better?", she asked. "I grew up on Gothic novels and Hammer Horror - I really had no other frame of reference", she responded. "I will say that I'm super relieved that you guys don't, by the way. Having to sleep in a box of 'the earth you were buried in'? That would be a hell of a lot of laundry and vacuuming!"

"Mmmhmm", he replied, nodding thoughtfully. "But you know what would be the worst part?"

"What's that?"

Felix shifted to face her, his strong arm sliding down from her shoulders to encircle her waist. "Not having enough room in there to be able to hold you like this", he purred, drawing in even closer. Proverbial butterflies danced in her belly. _Damn, he was smooth._

"You know, they DO make two-person coffins", she quipped back, immediately regretting it. _Really, girl? You're going to talk about funeral arrangements right now?_

"Oh yeah? Well, I still think a bed is the best way to go. Both in terms of comfort..." he said, brushing a few wayward strands of red hair from her face, "And range of movement."

Chloe's normally pale, freckled cheeks flushed with the power of a thousand embarrassed gingers. Well, just _one_ singular ginger. Felix, as usual, seemed to take special pride in flustering her. 

"Yeah, I figured that would make you blush!" he grinned, before resuming his sultry tone. "How do you manage to look so adorable _and_ sexy when you do that?"

The sweet sentiment did nothing to to calm the raging heat on her face. "Dunno - just sounds like a weird vampire kink to me", she deadpanned, causing him to chuckle once again. "Probably something about my delicious riboflavin-flavored plasma rising so close to the surface."

"Cookie, _you_ make my plasma rise to the-"

"BABE! Don't you dare finish that corny...pffbtt! Hahahahahaha!"

Together, they guffawed and tittered like a pair of lunatics that just wrested control of the asylum. At one point, she let out a goose-like honk, causing Felix to laugh even harder while Chloe wiped tears from her eyes.

Breathless and full of mirth, she sank back against Felix's chest, nestling into to him. "Mmm...we really have the best dates, don't we? Even if half the time you're teasing and flattering me in the same sentence. That's quite a skill, you know."

She felt her boyfriend's lips curve against her skin, before pulling away to affectionately pepper light kisses on the tip of her nose, the apples of her cheeks, her chin.

"I don't even have to try when I'm around you, Cookie. You just inspire me", he drawled, his lush, gorgeous mouth hovered so tantalizingly close to hers.

Instinctively, Chloe's eyes began to flutter closed. When they did, he planted a soft kiss against the corner of her mouth. She sighed dreamily and slid her hands over his shoulders, giving him a similar peck, before tilting her head so that she could kiss him properly. And, _oh_, how right his lips felt. She marveled how the touch and taste of him never failed to make her feel both comforted and giddy, relaxed and...and...

She lost her train of thought when a gentle flick of his tongue parted her lips. She opened for him, the taste of him familiar but still meltingly seductive. As she quietly whimpered against his soft mouth, he began to caress her. Gentle hands glided over her back, skimmed her sides. His movements slowed as they reached her hips. He reluctantly broke their kiss to pause and regard her - his eyes dark with desire. A thrill of anxious excitement coursed through her at the sight of them.

  
"Speaking of...sleeping arrangements" Felix began and paused, biting his lip "...Well, I have to admit they've been on my mind a lot recently." 

Chloe was certain he could hear the resonating thump of her heart against her rib-cage. He reached down to take her hand. Their fingers laced together.

"Have they been on yours, too, babe?", he asked, his voice barely above a whisper.


	2. More Interruptions

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much to everyone who commented! It really means a lot for people to take the time to help me grow as an amateur writer. Enjoy!

So, there it was - the "is tonight The Night?" question.

Rationally, Chloe knew that one day the subject would come up between them. When they first got together, she'd explained that she was... a bit shy and hoped they could take things slowly, intimacy-wise. And of course, he'd been unfailingly patient regarding her boundaries. Felix had treated her so gently, almost as if she was a startled fawn he was afraid to spook. But lately, she'd found her inhibitions fading away little by little whenever she was in his arms. Kisses lingered, caresses grew bolder. There was a mutual reluctance to leave each other at the end of each night. And she had to admit she'd found herself fantasizing about just what it might be like if they became even closer. Feverish visions of his mouth trailing down her body. How his naked skin might feel against hers. What he might whisper or even moan to her as they tangled between soft sheets. But there just just one problem, fantasy did not always lead to reality.

Chloe's sexual history could be surmised as...frustrating. While she had received no blatant 'what the fuck are you trying to do?' remarks from her previous two partners, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was erotically mediocre. Her past experiences were steeped in mismatched rhythms, awkward limbs and general dissatisfaction. Impatient ex-boyfriends (okay, mostly Bobby) asking her how 'much longer she was going to take', while explaining that their signature moves always got their lovers off before.

"Chloe?" The soft pressure of Felix's hand on hers brought her back to the present.

"Sorry, yeah", Chloe responded sheepishly, returning the squeeze. She tried hard to ignore the writhing ball excitement, anticipation and nerves inside her. "It's...definitely something I've been thinking about. Umm, a lot, actually."

"I had an inkling, but I'm still glad you to hear you say that out loud", he and lifted her hand to his lips, brushing the lightest of kisses over her knuckles. "But I can tell you're nervous", Felix added, regarding her with tender concern. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"I...sure." She took a calming breath. "I don't have a lot of experience...and I guess I'm just worried about what will happen if we take the next step."

Felix quirked an eyebrow. "You mean, you're a virgin?"

She shook her head. "No, not that. It's kind of awkward to explain...", Chloe trailed off, rubbing one of her arms.

A small frown knitted Felix's brows. "You're not worried that I'd hurt you, right?", he asked, glancing away for a moment towards TV screen in front of them. Count Orlok was swathed in shadows, feasting on the blood of a ringletted beauty. Felix's frown deepened as he turned back to her. "Because those 'Nightfall' books or whatever teenagers read have it all wrong", he explained quickly, "I wouldn't lose control and bite you or injure you or even destroy your bed and pillows in the middle of sex."

"What? No, it's not that-"

"I know you were afraid of us at first", he continued soberly, clasping her hand a little tighter. He looked so uncharacteristically vulnerable. "Please, tell me that's not still the case."

"I promise, it's not that, Felix", she soothed, cupping the sides of his face and pulling him in for a reassuring kiss. "Of course I trust you. I do. I just have a few hangups about... sex in general, I guess."

"Whew! It's a gigantic relief to hear to hear you say that." He sighed in contentment against her lips, pulling her into his arms once more. "Well, I mean, I'm glad about you trusting me, not the other part. Because I really care about you, Chloe. I care about _us_ \- I wouldn't do anything that would jeopardize what we have."

"I know that, babe", she murmured, resting her head against his shoulder. Felix pressed a light kiss on the crown of her head.

"Now, why don't you tell me what you're worried about -"

**~SMOOOOOOOKE ON THE WATER, A FIRE IN THE SKKKYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY~**

The tinny refrain of a Deep Purple song blared from a cell phone in Felix's pocket.

"Aw, shit. That's Mason calling", he groaned. "Can't they leave us for an hour?"

"Maybe you should get that?", Chloe suggested.

**~"SMOOOOOOOKE ON THE WATER, BUM BUM BUM, BUM BUM BADUM"~**

"He can leave a voicemail. Let's finish talking first."

"It might be important..."

"This is pretty important, too."

  
Before the band could inform them that they burned down a gambling house (which died with an awful sound), Chloe's own phone blew up. She ignored Felix's protests as she accepted the call.

  
"Your boyfriend got his hands too full to answer his damn phone?", a husky voice groused on the other end.

"Ah, Mason, always a pleasure-"

"Save it, Junior", the voice snapped. "Tell Felix to zip up and stand guard at the balcony. Cornell, have your gun ready. I'm coming up the stairs and will be at your door in two seconds."

The call abruptly ended before Chloe could reply.

"So much for Date Night", Felix smiled ruefully while helping her up. Clearly, his supernatural hearing had picked up everything, as he nodded towards her weapons safe before heading over to stand by the veranda.

She had just managed to retrieve and turn the safety off of her Glock 17 pistol, when she heard the jingling of keys at her front door.

"Don't shoot, it's just me", Mason's called out before he let himself in. He looked more pissed off than usual as he kicked the door closed behind him, his black leather jacket shredded on the left shoulder, dark locks in disarray.

"Holy crap. Are you okay, Mason?", Chloe asked, concerned.

"Just had a run-in with another member of your demented little fan-club. But I'd stick to worrying about yourself right now" he scowled, rifling through his coat pocket for a pack of cigarettes. "Now, grab whatever shit you need, Felix and I are taking you to the warehouse for the night".

  
She dutifully headed to her wardrobe, grabbing a beat-up duffel bag, before reaching for her black duster. "Lovely. Who's after me this time? Trappers? A chupacabra?", Chloe questioned, shrugging into the garment while simultaneously stuffing her feet into pair of loafers, nearly losing her balance in the process. Mason stared at her, as if he disapproved of her entire existence as she grabbed the closet door to keep from toppling over.

"Empusai triplets. And watch what you're doing, I'm not paid to save you from your goddamn self."

"Well, I'm a considerate person and I am trying to hurry. Okay, I'm ready. Empa-who?"

"I'll explain when we're in your shitbox of a car", Mason replied, jerking his head towards the door. "Felix, let's get going. Make sure your 'girlfriend' doesn't break her neck going down the stairs."


End file.
